What’s Your Preference?

mikeLphoto · #1 (**permalink**) 10-31-2009, 11:31 PM

Hey guys! I took this shot the other day, and at first I liked it, but after editing it and looking at it, I feel like theres something missing to it. I think the idea is there but it just seems to lack a strong interest point I guess. What's your first impression of this shot? How can I improve the overall composition and interest of it? Any advice would be much appreciated!

Camera: Nikon D80
Exposure: 0.006 sec (1/160)
Aperture: f/13.0
Focal Length: 18 mm
ISO Speed: 400
Exposure Bias: -1/3 EV
Flash: No Flash
Exposure Program: Aperture-priority AE

Sterling · #2 (**permalink**) 10-31-2009, 11:51 PM

I feel the same way you do. I like the look of the fence, grass, and sky. But the road is very boring. I'm not sure how to rescue this shot. I think it's more a case of trying to find the subject in the photo. Maybe if you jumped the fence and took a shot emphasizing the fence and its shadow with much less road? BTW, is that your shadow on the left edge?

mikeLphoto · #3 (**permalink**) 11-01-2009, 12:23 AM

Ya now that you mention it I think it might be too much road. I think I tried a shot from the other side of the fence but the grassy hillside just took up too much of the shot and if i tried to angle it to the right more the composition was very blank. On the right side of the road, the ground just drops off leaving nothing but blank sky on the side.

PS ya that is my shadow to the right, wasnt really paying attention to that when I took it...

Nathan deGargoyle · #4 (**permalink**) 11-01-2009, 12:51 AM

OK so your subject is white but you've exposed for the greytone of the road? The EV range exceeds the range of your camera. I would have mede the same mistake yesterday but today I would underexpose by maybe 1 stop and try and get a bit pof rolloff on the bright parts.

tjdhulst · #5 (**permalink**) 11-01-2009, 04:32 AM

A comment about your composition. I like how the fence leads your eye into the upper right corner and then all of a sudden makes a sharp turn to the left upper corner with the curvature of the road and fence. Interesting effect. That was the first thing I noticed and I liked it.

denja · #6 (**permalink**) 11-01-2009, 02:10 PM

First of all, I don't really care for the 3D or "pillow" effect with this image. Secondly, I think that possibly the fence line is so strong, but it leads the eye to nothing basically. I agree with you, a nice image but...........................

Jim.

Michael Cheung · #7 (**permalink**) 11-01-2009, 06:56 PM

It's not bad, but there really is too much road in the photo.

Also, I don't like the post-processing on the edges.

mikeLphoto · #8 (**permalink**) 11-01-2009, 10:45 PM

Thanks a lot for the tips guys. A note on the composition, i like the idea of the fence as well how it takes a turn and curves at the end, but as pointed out the main part of the fence does lead to nothing basically, maybe if I had more of the road curving in there? Or a high elevated shot angled downward more?
And a note on the post processing, I was editing a bunch of pictures at the time and the others I had put the shadowing around the edges, and just kinda threw it on this one as well, and afterward looking at it now I wish i hadnt used the shadowing, or at least not as intensely.